(Isaiah 14:24-27) “The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: (Vs.25) That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders. (Vs.26) This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. (Vs.27) For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?”
In the Old Testament the kings of Assyria like the kings of Babylon were all major types of the Antichrist. Prophetically, when we see a reference to “the Assyrian” it is a reference to the Antichrist who in his character and deeds will mirror those of the literal kings of Assyria. Historically the Assyrians were perhaps most famous for their fearsome army. They were a warrior society where fighting was a part of life. They were known throughout the land as cruel and ruthless warriors. The Assyrians were feared for their military might and their cruelty. The Assyrians developed new ways of attacking cities. The Assyrians were very creative about the brutality. They would cut off legs, arms, noses, tongues, ears, and testicles. They would gouge out the eyes of their prisoners. They would burn small children alive.
This will be the character and the conduct of the Antichrist. He will not be some good looking well-groomed European ruler but in reality a brutal sadistic Islamic dictator in the character and conduct of Antiochus Epiphanies, a totalitarian, despotic, tyrannical and violent dictator who oppressed and murdered many of the Jewish people in Israel and sought to change the laws of Israel and impose Greek religion and culture on the Jewish people. He was another major type of the Antichrist in scripture of whom Daniel writes about.
Nimrod, who engineered the Tower of Babel, ruled over an empire that attempted to usurp and overthrow God’s sovereignty and power. Nimrod was the founder and builder of both the original cities of Babylon and Assyria. We are also told in God’s Word that Nimrod, “was a mighty hunter before the Lord” but the Hebrew text says that, “he was a mighty hunter in the face of God.” In other words he was an arch rebel. He is the first major type of the Antichrist in scripture (Genesis 10:8-12). Nimrod’s Babylon was the source of all false religion.
Now the prophet Isaiah writes about a future time when Israel will once again be confronted with one in the character and conduct of the kings of Assyria. He is called “the Assyrian.” not necessarily coming out from the region of ancient Assyria. The Bible focuses on his character and conduct rather than on his origin geographically. With these matters in view let’s now look at what the Word of God is saying prophetically through the His servant Isaiah.
(Isaiah 14:24-27)
Exposition:
(Vs.24) “The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand”
No matter what man does God has the ultimate power and sovereignty over all of His creation and no one or nothing on earth in the heavens or even in the lower realms of the earth have any say. God does what He wants, in the way He wants, and when He wants and with whom He wants and asks no man’s permission. He knows the beginning from the end and plans accordingly. As we also read in the prophet Isaiah; “I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9b-10). See also: (Ephesians 1:11) (Isaiah 45:7-9) (Proverbs 16:33) (Job 42:2)
As we see the nations in turmoil and Israel’s adversaries rising like spectres out of the abyss of spiritual darkness to come against Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Church spiritually grafted into Israel, we need to be assured that God still has everything under control and that no matter what happens He will work everything out in conformity to His pre-ordained purposes even determining the end of the wicked. As we read in Proverbs; “The LORD has made everything for His purpose— even the wicked for the day of disaster. Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:4-5).
Now this prophecy in Isaiah we are considering directly relates to Israel in the last days. Israel will once again be invaded and this time by the armies of the Antichrist which is affirmed in scripture (Micah 5:5) (Joel 1:1-4; 2:1-11; 3:1-3). God will allow this to happen, not to destroy Israel, but to bring them back to Himself and to the Messiah their Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for their sin, and to His atoning blood that broke the curse of the law of sin and death at the cross. That curse will be broken over an individual Jewish man, woman or child who repent and turns back to God through faith in the Messiah who has bled and died for them (Isaiah 53:5-6).
At present the nation of Israel is still under the curse of the law because of their alienation from the Lord and because they are living just like the pagan world and in violation of the Torah. There is also much religious activity especially in Jerusalem but this too is not acceptable to God, being a works based righteousness and not the righteousness of God that can only be bestowed through faith in the Messiah our Lord Jesus (Romans 3:21-27). One thing also to consider is that there are many Jewish Messianic believers in Israel who are preaching the gospel of the kingdom to their Jewish brothers and sisters.
Now we are also told by the apostle Paul in the Book of Romans that Israel’s hardness of heart towards God is partial and not complete and that at the very end of this age “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:27). After they have passed through the Time of Jacob’s Trouble the survivors in Israel will see Him whom they have pierced and will cry out “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” At that time every Jewish man, woman and child still alive on the earth will be saved! The Messiah our Lord Jesus will sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:10-13) (Jeremiah 30:1-10) (Isaiah 2:1-5) (Micah 4:1-5).
Now let’s continue…
(Vs.25) “That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders.”
After the Antichrist and his armies have invaded and oppressed Israel and when the people are decimated and without any hope, the Lord will judge the Antichrist and he and his armies will fall on the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 39:4-6). God will remove the yoke of oppression, not just the oppression of the Antichrist’s empire, but the spiritual oppression of Satan who has tried to destroy Israel. In that day the surviving Israeli remnant will receive spiritual sight and see for themselves that through the Messiah’s sacrifice that a fountain has been opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zechariah 13:1).
As a result Israel will be fully restored nationally and spiritually and delivered completely from their idolatrous ways! (13:2-6). In that day when the Messiah returns in great power and glory to the Mount of Olives, God Himself will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit, or the Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Him whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great (Zechariah 12:10-11a).
As for the Antichrist titled “the Assyrian,” he will be trampled underfoot, his yoke upon Israel broken beyond repair and his burden removed from their shoulders. “The Assyrian” will be cast alive down into Hades to join the tormented spirits of all those kings who went before him who sought to usurp God’s sovereignty, and there to be laid upon, and covered with, a bed of worms where he will experience the fiery torment prepared for the devil and his angels (Isaiah 66:4) (Revelation19:20-21). Finally we read…
(Vs.26-27) “This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?”
At His Second Coming when the Messiah destroys the Antichrist and his armies, this judgement will affect all of the nations globally. It will be a universal judgement on earth and in the unseen spiritual realm where Satan and his angels dwell. As Isaiah the prophet writes; “So it will happen in that day, That the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. They will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished” (Isaiah 24; 21-22).
God has fixed a day when He will judge all men by the man He has appointed for this awesome and fearful task. As it is written; “For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead” (Acts17:31). This is true for all men both Jew and Gentile alike and that on the basis of how they did or did not respond to the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. Not only will men be judged for the rejection of the Messiah and the salvation that is only found in Him, but also those in that judgement who have denigrated and persecuted Israel. These God will also judge for these crimes against His chosen people especially the Islamic nations (Ezekiel 25:12-14) (Isaiah 34:5-10).
Today we see anti-Semitism arising again on a global scale and the time is coming soon when Jews in Europe, Great Britain, America, Russia, and China and in all Muslim countries will be turned out of their homes, oppressed, persecuted and driven out into the streets. Many will not have any place to go. The only true friends they will have will be New Covenant believers who will stand alongside them to share in their affliction and take them into their homes even at the risk of their own lives. This will be God’s primary purpose for the wider faithful Body of the Messiah during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
Of course New Covenant believers will continue to witness and to work for the Lord Jesus during this last three and a half years of this present age but His focus will be primarily on Israel’s restoration while spiritually preserving His Body, the faithful Church having been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise for the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13). Immediately after the tribulation of those days the rapture and resurrection of all believers will happen (Matthew 24:29-31).
One thing is for sure, God has purposed to stretch out His hand in judgement and who will be able to annul this? This judgement will not only be for rebellion and sin but also upon the nations that have divided up the Land of Israel and abused and oppressed the Jewish people. For these armies of the Antichrist also called “the Assyrian,” it will be the valley of decision where God will enter into judgement there and cast those armies into the winepress of His wrath when the Lion of Judah the Messiah roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem and when the earth and the sky will tremble. But in that day the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel (Joel 3:1-3, 12-16) (Revelation 14:18-20) (Isaiah 63:3) (Revelation 19:15). Amen!!!
To conclude
When the Lord Jesus returns in great power and glory every person on earth who has rejected the salvation in the Messiah our Lord Jesus will also enter into their personal valley of decision including those who have persecuted and denigrated the Jewish people. As we see this age rapidly coming to its climax and closure it is going to be the valley of decision for those who are as yet un-reconciled to the Messiah.
If you are reading this post and as yet you have never been born again, washed from all sin by the Messiah’s blood and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having encountered the living and resurrected Messiah our Lord Jesus, you have still have a choice to make while you have rime and time is rapidly running out for the inhabitants of the earth. Do not put the Lord Jesus off any longer. As it is written; “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). And again it is written; “Behold, now is the time of favour; now is the day of salvation!!” (2 Corinthians 6:2b).
Who knows what tomorrow will hold for you? Will you choose Christ or the Antichrist? You cannot have it both ways! This is the valley of decision for you right now because the time is coming when God will break the Assyrian in the land of Israel and all those still alive on earth who have participated in this rebellion (Isaiah 66:24).
